Clexa - Revelations
by alliebrave
Summary: As Clarke struggles to fit into college life, things get more complicated when a strange girl named Lexa seems to be following her. Clarke must battle her demons and uncover the mystery of Lexa. Will Clarke fall for the dark, mysterious stranger? What secrets does New Haven hold for Clarke? And does Lexa have anything to do with unlocking those secrets?
1. Chapter 1

"There she is again!" I suddenly burst, pointing to a girl sitting in a folding chair by the fire, talking with another group.

"The weird one that's been following you?" Raven questioned as she scanned the beach looking for the girl I was talking about.

"Yes! She's right there don't you see her?"

My friend Raven and I had taken the night off from studying to go to a bonfire that Bellamy, a local frat brother, was throwing at his parents' beach house. The place was scattered with other college kids, some I knew and some were complete strangers. Raven and I had grown up together in Connecticut, and when we both got into the University of New Haven last year, we had promised to be each other's guide dogs from then on. And we had been. We went everywhere together, which was the only reason I had agreed to go out that night. I'd had a rough week of classes and wasn't really feeling like being social, but Raven guilt tripped me into being the designated driver for the evening.

"Can't you just go with Octavia? You know I don't do parties, Rave," I had told Raven earlier that night.

Raven had remained silent and narrowed her eyed sternly at me.

"Remember the pact," she had said.

In a huff I had given in, not knowing the interesting turn the night would later take. I now found myself staring through the orange glow of the fire at a face that, although distorted by smoke billows and heat waves, was familiar nonetheless. The girl in question was tall and slender with long, brown curls that seemed to move in waves that matched the ocean behind her. Every so often I would look over and catch her staring at me, like she was waiting to tell me something.

"What a night to be out on the town!" came a shrill voice from behind us.

Both Raven and I turned around in time to see Octavia bounding up the walkway between the beach and Bellamy's driveway, her boyfriend Lincoln stubbornly in tow behind her. The hood of Lincoln grey jacket was pulled up and he looked more repulsed with the scene than I did.

"Hey guys," Raven and I sang in unison.

"Have you guys been here long?" Octavia asked, her smiley mood in stark contrast to Lincoln's mopey expression.

"About 20 minutes. What have _you_ guys been doing?" Raven asked suggestively.

"Driving," Lincoln said sharply. "She got us lost. Again."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't wrecked your car I wouldn't have to be your personal chauffer for the last three months," Octavia retorted with a whip of her shiny, black hair.

"Oh, we're going to start _this_ again?"

"Guys! Chill!" Raven yelled, annoyed. "Go get a drink or something, geez."

Octavia and Lincoln headed toward a collection of coolers overflowing with beers on the back porch of the beach house, still bickering as they walked away. It was then that I noticed the girl was staring at me again.

"Do you see this?" I elbowed Raven to get her attention. "Please tell me I'm not crazy."

Raven huddled closer to me so she could spy on the strange girl without being seen.

"Oh, shit. She's totally gonna kill you in your sleep, Clarke," Raven laughed taking a big gulp of her beer.

It had been several weeks since I first started spotting the strange girl. Our encounters since then had only gotten more common and more unusual. The first time I saw her it was like a dream almost. I even thought I might have dreamt about her the night before but my dreams were always so fuzzy that I couldn't be sure.

I was sitting in my Intro to Art class barely awake and wishing I had just hit the snooze button and skipped for once. Out of nowhere she floated in and took a seat a few rows ahead of me. The course was held in one of the many large auditoriums on campus because the class size was larger than most, so no one besides me even noticed her. The only reason I did was because she looked back and tossed a little smile at me, and because she was wearing a Shins t-shirt that I was totally jealous of. I thought she had dropped another course and picked up mine, but after that Tuesday she never came back. Two days later I ran into her in my dorm. Raven, Octavia and I were heading out to get pizza and crowded into the elevator like a bunch of chattering sardines, Octavia ranting on and on about a mean-spirited text conversation Lincoln and her had had earlier. The elevator had stopped on the third floor and as the doors opened there had stood the strange girl. The rest of the ride down we kept making eye contact that was so uncomfortable it made me want to press the emergency button.

I saw her everywhere. In my dorm, at the local café on campus, in the hallways, and even at some of the parties Raven dragged me to. It had been an entire week since I'd seen her though, until now. I had started to wonder about her more than anyone should wonder about a stranger, curious about how she seemed to show up everywhere I went and more curious about _why_. Was she really following me? Or was I being completely paranoid? Raven seemed to agree with me, but then again Raven loved controversy so it wouldn't surprise me if she was just playing along with my delusion.

I was still lost in thought when Octavia and Lincoln returned to mine and Raven's place by the fire. Lincoln was chugging a Bud Light, probably trying to numb the pain from his and Octavia's quarrel, and Octavia was scolding him about some girl that was flirting with him.

"Clarke, you seriously need to stop staring, you're only fueling her."

"Only fueling who? What'd I miss?" Octavia's eyes grew wide like an excited puppy.

"Clarke's got a stalker," said Raven giving me a silly grin.

"You don't know that," I huffed, a tinge of irritation in my voice.

"Ooh! Where is he?" Octavia ogled.

" _She_ is over there."

"Clarke, I know you're a lez and everything, but you seriously need standards," Octavia's comment even made Lincoln laugh a little through his beer.

"The brunette in the red shirt? She's not bad," Lincoln said, pursing his lips.

Octavia scoffed and punched him playfully in the arm. "Don't even think about it."

Raven leaned over and put her arm around me. "You _have_ been single for a while. Maybe you should lower your standards and let me talk to her for you!"

"Um, no thanks," I shrugged Raven's arm away and headed toward the beach house.

"Aw, come on! I didn't mean it, Clarkey!" Raven whined, her words starting to slur.

I rolled my eyes back at her and kept going. I needed a few minutes alone to clear my head and get away from the obnoxiously loud music. Bellamy had a thing for Fetty Wap and hadn't stopped playing his new album on repeat since the party started. I was into stuff like Halsey so to me it was just noise.

I made my way past the hoard of drunken people on the porch and slipped through the back door into the kitchen. I let out a little "whoa" after taking in my surroundings. The inside of the place was more elegant than any regular house – let alone a summerhouse – I'd ever seen. Bellamy and Octavia's parents were rich, so it made sense that they could afford such an extravagant place. But with the inside so deserted like that it felt a little creepy to be there alone.

I quickly walked through the kitchen and living room and managed to locate the bathroom on the other side of the house. Closing the door behind me, I turned on the bronze faucet and washed my face with warm water, which felt good considering fall had really started setting in the past couple weeks. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket and, with a deep, tired sigh, I pulled it out to check the notification.

 _Raven: Yo, Liam Neeson. Stalker's MIA. Watch ur back._

 _Clarke: Good riddance._

I sent the text quickly and threw my phone on the counter in frustration. Gripping the edges of the sink, I hung my head and closed my eyes.

College hadn't exactly been what I expected, mainly because I felt more lost than I ever thought I would at this point in my life, and because of, well, Finn. Finn and I dated junior and senior year of high school and he'd even been accepted to New Haven U along with Raven and me. We were going to be the three musketeers before everything went straight to hell. I came out to my parents senior year, even though I'd know since I was a freshman. I realized then that my relationship with Finn had been a lie that I'd kept up only to prevent myself from accepting the truth. Let's just say Finn didn't take the news so well.

I was learning to accept my sexuality, adjust to my classes and living away from home for the first time, and although I had Raven to help keep me grounded, I still felt really alone.

I let out a heavy sigh, not noticing I was crying until a single tear rolled down my cheek and glazed the base of my chin. I wiped the length of my face with the sleeve of my jacket and took a long hard look at myself in the mirror.

"Come on, Clarke. Pull yourself together!" I huffed under my breath.

This transition might have been hard, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my night. I brushed my fingers through my wavy, blonde hair, took a deep breath, and went to open the bathroom door. The moment the door flung open my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. There, in the darkness of the hallway, stood the strange yet beautiful girl, her arms crossed and her eyes curiously calm.

Lexa's POV

"What the hell?" the blonde girl said in disbelief. "It's you!"

I attentively straightened up and uncrossed my arms.

"Who, me? I'm just waiting my turn," I said, pointing warily at the bathroom.

"Why are you following me, you psycho?" she inched closer to me, her words growing angrier with every step.

"What are you talking ab–"

"I see you in my classes, my dorm, every party I go to, even the coffee shop! _The coffee shop."_

"Whoa, I think you need to –"

"No! I think _you_ need to stop stalking me."

"Stalking you? Wait a second. Aren't you that art major on the sixth floor? Clarke Griffin?"

"How do you know my name, or my major? What, did you Google me too?"

I began laughing softly, but it grew to the point that my sides started hurting.

"What the hell is so funny," she fumed, her sky blue eyes narrowed into slits.

"You are," I replied, looking her up and down.

I had seen Clarke around campus, probably more than anyone else I'd seen by chance. Costia, my roommate, went to high school with Clarke, and, on several occasions, proceeded to ramble on and on about how amazing Clarke's art was. It seemed like Costia had a thing for the so-called artist, so I let her gloat, not really paying much attention. That is, until one day I found myself wandering through the Fine Arts building's gallery waiting for Costia outside her sculpture class. I ran across a beautiful painting of a woman holding a small, blue flower. It reminded me of a renaissance painting or like the painter Chagal, and I noticed in the corner of painting was a signature that read "C. Griffin." For some reason after that I started seeing Clarke everywhere.

"I'm not a stalker," I said, still somewhat amused. "I live in your dorm, room 625, and I get coffee every day at the Brew just like everyone else."

"What about the parties? I've seen you at almost every one I've gone to. Including this one."

"I'm pretty sure we know the same people, Clarke. Does the name Costia ring any bells?"

"Costia from Middletown High?" Clarke asked, finally starting to calm down.

"She's my roommate. I'm always her DD so she can get wasted. Like tonight for example," I said rolling my eyes.

"Oh. I didn't know that," said Clarke, seeming a little embarrassed. Well, why were you in my art class a few weeks ago?"

"Lewis' class? I just transferred here from Bridgeport, a month ago and they let me sample some courses. Lewis kind of bored me."

Clarke's eyes suddenly softened and she slumped her shoulders, her gaze falling to the floor searchingly. A silence fell between us as I tried to think of something else to say. For some reason I thought us meeting might have been fate, but Clarke didn't seem too sure about it. More than anything she looked like she was ready to take off running in the other direction. I decided to ease the tension as best I could.

"I'm Lexa, by the way, Lexa Wright," I said with a half grin and an extended hand.

Clarke's eyes flicked up with a hint of fear in them before taking my hand in hers and gently shaking it once.

"I don't think I have to introduce myself," she said, quickly pulling her hand away.

"Yeah you _are_ pretty famous. Well, at least around our dorm."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're practically Da Vinci," I replied, which made Clarke smile for the first time.

Her eyes beamed at me through the moonlit hallway, and just as she opened her mouth to say something her phone buzzed uncontrollably. Buzz after buzz after buzz. After a few moments of her texting back, she looked up at me with a little bit of a disappointed look on her face.

Clarke's POV

 _Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz_

 _Raven: claaarrrkke I need uoi._

 _Raven: you_

 _Raven: Octvias beign mean_

 _Raven: shit. being_

 _Raven: She left with Lincoln_ _L_

Damn. Raven was blowing up my phone like crazy. I already felt embarrassed enough for yelling at Lexa, but now I was just being plain rude by burying my face in my phone. I knew I was just being paranoid before. I could kill Raven for egging me on, but I figured it was mainly my fault that I thought Lexa had some kind of agenda.

There was this weird tug in my chest whenever Lexa looked at me. Even though she was practically a stranger I felt like we knew each other personally. All those random moments over the past month of bumping into her all culminated into a feeling of familiarity. I didn't know who this girl was… but I wanted to.

"I've gotta go. My roommate's really drunk and –"

"Me too," Lexa pointed to bathroom with a smile. "Been waiting a while."

I turned on my heel to leave but immediately turned back.

"Maybe we'll…meet again?" I was hopeful, apologetic almost.

Her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders so magnificently it was hard to look away. Lexa's hazel eyes glistened in the blue moonlight that was spilling through the hallway. I never noticed before how beautiful she was.

"Isn't that what got me into this mess in the first place?" Lexa joked.

"See you around, Lexa Wright," I ended with a smile.

"See you around, Clarke Griffin."


	2. Chapter 2

Cold air brushed against my cheeks as I exited the beach house. I couldn't help but smile at the sandy ground as I trudged back toward the bonfire, somewhat star struck from my encounter with Lexa. I was so lost in thought that I wasn't even bothered when Bellamy and a couple of his frat brothers cat-called me from the shore in an attempt to get me to go swimming with them. Normally I would have told them off, but I was too disconnected to care.

I couldn't curve the sting of embarrassment, but that feeling was overpowered by the fiercer feeling of curiosity. It didn't make sense for me to still be wondering about Lexa since the big mystery had pretty much been solved, but I still couldn't help wondering if there was more to know about her.

I was having trouble finding Raven. She seemed to have wandered away from the fire while I was gone. After a few minutes of searching I spotted her sitting Indian style by a grove of trees with Jasper, a nerdy guy from our English 101 class – who clearly wanted Raven to be the Cleopatra to his Antonio. I made a beeline toward them but was stopped abruptly by someone grabbing my arm.

"Hey!" I whipped around and came face-to-face with a medium-height girl who looked more pissed off than I did.

Her dark skin glowed golden and tranquil in the firelight, but her expression was far from tranquil.

"Did you come here with her?" said the girl angrily.

"With who? I asked, still trying to jerk my arm out of her grasp.

"Don't play stupid! Lying Lexa. Are you friends with her?"

"You mean Lexa Wright?"

The girl became more frustrated and she inched closer, which, even though she was a little shorter than me, actually made me feel kind of intimidated.

"You tell that little bitch that she better never come near me or my crew again, okay? You tell her, next time Indra's going to have a deal _for her_. Got it?"

"Um, Indra, I really don't know her. We just met tonight."

Indra released my arm with a slight push and looked around suspiciously.

"Sorry, man. I thought…well, I saw her follow you inside so I thought…listen, don't mess with her. She'll fuck you up like she fucked up me and my friends."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story. Look, just stay away from her, okay? She's trouble."

"If you've got a problem why not just tell her yourself?"

"Oh, trust me, I'm gonna."

And with that, Indra left to go back to her group of friends that was sitting by the fire. I looked on after her as she walked away, my mind buzzing with questions. What had Lexa Wright done to this Indra girl that had pissed her off so much? I thought of all the possibilities on the way home with Raven and well into the night, but I still couldn't come up with any definitive answers. Who was Lexa Wright?

Lexa's POV

"I can't believe I talked to Clarke Griffin," I mumbled to myself while washing my hands in the bathroom sink.

It wasn't like Clarke was famous or anything. She was just a stranger, but I felt like I knew her better than any of my friends, better than Costia.

As I walked back through the kitchen I noticed something that looked like a thin leather strap lying on the hardwood floor. I bent down to pick it up and turned it over several times in my hand until discovering it was a bracelet that looked very familiar. Then it hit me.

 _This is the same bracelet I saw Clarke wearing outside_ , I thought. _She wasn't wearing it when we met so it must have fallen off right before._

I shoved the bracelet into my canvas messenger bag and went to go look for Clarke. Lost jewelry or not, I couldn't help hoping I'd find her before she left. There was something genuine about that girl that made me calm, even when she was screaming like a madwoman at me.

I caught a glimpse of Clarke and another boy helping an obviously drunk girl toward the parking lot. I started toward them when a strong force from behind knocked me to the ground.

"What the fuck!" I yelled.

I lifted myself up enough to look behind me through a cloud of sand and see Indra approaching me. Her foot made contact with my stomach three times before she rolled me over onto my back and grabbed a fistful of my gray t-shirt.

"I've been wanting to do that all night! You know how much shit you put me through? Well, now you know," Indra laughed.

"I'm sorry," I could barely speak.

A crowd had gathered around, some were egging Indra on and others were calling for Bellamy to come stop her.

"Oh, you're gonna be damn well sorry, Lexa. I don't want to see you again. Ever," she ended, kicking sand at me before walking away.

Bellamy and another boy confronted Indra and her friends and made them leave, then came to check on me. I told them in between coughs that I'd be all right and headed to the parking lot to find my jeep.

Clarke and her friends were long gone by then so there was no way I'd be able to return her bracelet tonight. On the way back to campus I thought about slipping it under her door, but I decided against it because part of me wanted to do it in person. So, I went back to room and fell asleep, hoping for another chance encounter in the near future.


	3. Chapter 3: The Clocktower

Clarke POV

When I woke up the next morning, flashbacks of the night before flooded my mind instantly. I remembered the bonfire, my encounter with Lexa and Indra, and my interesting trip back to the dorms with Raven and Jasper. If Jasper hadn't been there I don't think I would've been able to even get Raven out of the car. He lingered a little too long at Raven's bedside, though, asking me if I was sure there wasn't anything else he could do. I practically had to kick him out, but before I closed the door I told him with a promising wink that Raven would hear about his hospitality. He had grinned at that and finally hurried off.

I looked over at Raven who was still asleep in her clothes from the night before. I smiled to myself when I noticed some patches of sand on the floor. Suddenly all the questions I had asked myself on the way home about Lexa came back to me.

I jumped up, threw on a hoody over my white cut-off, rode the elevator up to the sixth floor, and marched straight to room 625. Just as I was about to knock, the door flung open and I was greeted with a face that wasn't Lexa's.

"Clarke?"

"Costia? It's–been a while," I stuttered.

She let out a high-pitched squeal and hugged me.

"I've missed you, girl! I knew from Bellamy that you lived in Westside Hall but I didn't know which floor!"

"I'm on the third, Room 312," I tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Sorry I almost bumped into you. I was about to go get lunch. Is this your first semester? It's my first and I'm barely surviving. God only knows why I decided to study biology," Costia gushed.

"Mine too. I'm actually rooming with Raven Reyes."

"No way! Raven was always my favorite detention buddy at Middleton High," she giggled. "We should all get together sometime and have a girls night. That way you can meet my roommate-slash-new bff Lexa."

"That's actually why I'm here. I was kind of hoping to talk to Lexa."

"Oh, you know each other? Well, she ever came home last night. Probably picked up some babe at some party and spent the night _elsewhere_ , if you know what I mean."

I frowned at that but immediately tried to hide my disappointment.

 _Wait. When she said "babe" did she mean a girl or a guy?_ I thought.

"Do you want me to tell her you stopped by?"

"No, no. I'll just come back later. Thanks, Costia."

Costia put her number in my phone so we could plan a girls night later and I left. Throughout the week, I tried several times to knock on Lexa's door again, but every time I went up to the sixth floor I would close the elevator doors seconds after they opened. Once, I even made it into the hallway only to chicken out again.

I decided to put the whole thing out of my mind and by Friday afternoon I almost had. The whole campus was usually abuzz with people on Friday's but when I got out of my 5:30 class, campus was relatively deserted. I took the scenic route from the Fine Arts Building back to my dorm, which passed through the main courtyard where the clock tower was.

As I was nearing the courtyard, I saw a blue sports car on the street across from me slow down. Before I knew it the car had screeched to a halt and a medium height boy had jumped out of the passenger's side and was walking in my direction. When I looked closer I realized it was Finn and my heart sank.

"Finn? What are you doing here?"

"I go here, Clarke," he said sharply.

"I thought after we broke up – "

"You mean after _you_ broke up with _me_? Why would I switch schools because you decided to be a fag? You don't own the fucking college."

"Okay. Well, I'm just going to – "

"You're just going to what? Go? I don't think so," he shook his head. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Talk about what? I asked.

"I don't like us being apart. I think we should try again," he almost sounded sincere, like he was asking me instead of telling me.

"Finn I told you. I don't want to be with you. I don't like guys. I shouldn't have led you on but…didn't you think it was weird that I would never go all the way with you?"

"We can do that now, Clarke," he said, coming closer.

"No," I backed away, starting to feel uneasy.

"My friends and I are going to this party," Finn said, looking back at the car. "Why don't come? It'll be just like old times."

"Old times? You mean the times you'd get drunk and push me around? Yeah, you're right. It probably would be just like old times."

"You still love me, I know it."

"I don't. I only stayed with you out of fear. Fear of who I was and…fear of you, Finn."

"That's fucking selfish. I gave you everything. I loved you!" he raised his voice even more.

"You gave me a black eye, that's what you gave me! Or do you not remember Homecoming?"

"Oh, I remember. I remember you cheated on me at that stupid dance."  
"Actually, you cheated on me, jerk. You were drunk. As usual."

"Come on," Finn grabbed my wrist and started to pull me towards the car.

"No!" I broke from his grasp, but he grabbed my shoulders and pushed me backwards against the clock tower.

It was exactly 7 p.m. and the clock began chiming so loudly that it nearly drowned out our argument. Finn always had a hot temper and when his rage mixed with jealousy it brought out a side of him no one but me ever saw, a side no one should ever have to see.

He held my hands above my head and began kissing my neck. I tried kneeing him in the groin but he held me back with the side of his leg. I could hear his friends whooping and whistling in the background, not sure whether they knew I wasn't agreeing to Finn's advances.

Just as Finn covered my mouth to stop me from screaming, he immediately let go as he was dragged away and slammed up against the tower wall. At first I didn't know what had happened, but after stumbling back and collecting myself I realized I had been saved.

By Lexa.

Lexa POV

"Get the hell away from her!" I shouted, grabbing the back of the boy's shirt.

After Clarke moved away, I trapped him against the clock tower wall. I twisted one of his arms behind his back and threatened to break his wrist if he didn't stop resisting.

"Ah! Okay! Okay! I'm done!" he winced.

"Apologize to her!" I demanded.

"Hell no."

I twisted his arm even more until he gave in and told Clarke he was sorry. Leaning in, I gave him a stern warning: "If you ever touch her again, I'll have your ass locked up so fast you won't know what freaking hit you. Are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good, we're good," he groaned.

"I already called campus police so you and your friends should probably get the hell out of here," I swung him around and gave him a little push.

He made a run for it and the car drove off the second he hopped inside. When I finally looked over at Clarke, she was standing still with her hands hanging limp at her sides. She looked so fragile and alone.

"Are you all right, Clarke?"

"W-where did you come from?" she said in disbelief.

"The parking garage. I was going to the dorms when I saw it all happen and I…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Why are you apologizing? You saved me, Lexa."

"I just did what anyone would do."

"No. Not everyone would do that. So thank you. Seriously, thank you."

I stared at her a little longer than two acquaintances should, and suddenly my heart started pounding. I opened my mouth to say something but she interrupted me.

"I stopped by your room. You weren't there."

"I know. Costia told me. I would've come to see you but I didn't know your room number."

Clarke looked at me, then at the ground, then back at me again. She seemed like she wanted to tell me a million things but was too afraid.

"Who was that?" I finally got the courage to ask.

"My ex-boyfriend."

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. _Of course she's straight_ , I thought. _All the best girls are._

"Oh. Why did he –?"

"It's complicated. Really complicated."

"I've got time."

Clarke's eyes focused on mine and didn't look away for at least an entire minute. I wanted to spend time with Clarke so she could have someone to talk to about all this, but a selfish part of me was willing to do anything to be around her.

"There's a poetry café near here. It doesn't close until ten. They have really good coffee," Clarke said, wringing her hands nervously.

"Are you inviting me?" I smirked.

"You did say you had time, didn't you? Besides, I totally owe you for the yelling-at-you-at-the-party thing, and for the whole saving-my-life thing."

"For you, I've got all the time in the world."

At that, Clarke smiled broadly but she tensed up when I moved closer to her. Her hair was a little ruffled from the fight so I moved some strands away and gently combed them back with my fingers. Then I straightened her blue jacket and looked her over several times.

"There, now you look presentable."

"Gee, thanks. I guess that means I'm a mess usually," Clarke huffed playfully.

"You're always perfect," I replied without thinking, still brushing off her jacket.

I couldn't believe I'd just said that. Why couldn't I have said something normal and not flirty? No. I had to say the weirdest thing ever. But Clarke surprised me when the tiniest smile formed in the corners of her mouth. She glanced at my hands that were still resting on her arms. I quickly removed them, feeling my cheeks turning bright red and a lump beginning to form in my throat.

"W-we should probably go," Clarke managed.

"Lead the way," I said.

AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the long lull in between Chapters 1 and 2. Classes just started so I've been adjusting to campus life once again. I also had mondo issues uploading Chapter 2, it kept coming up as a copy of Chapter 1 but I finally got it fixed after several tries. I've been on a roll so I'll be uploading the next chapter before the weekend. Thanks for the reads and reviews! XOXO


	4. Chapter 4: Cafe Confrontations

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Lexa POV

We headed to the café, spending the short walk discussing classes and campus life, which was new to both of us. When we got to the café, I was in awe of the place. It was just what I imagined it to be but even better. The walls were covered with pieces of local art and there were colored string lights hung around the ceiling. A waitress with blue hair sat us at a small wooden table near a window in the back of the café.

After the waitress brought us our orders – Clarke, a chamomile tea, and me, a medium coffee – I leaned over my mug and blew on my coffee to cool it. I could feel Clarke's eyes on me the whole time and it made me a little uneasy. When I glanced up at her she was still staring.

"Too hot for you?" she said with a smirk.

I was so stunned by her statement that I couldn't think of anything to say back.

 _Was she flirting with me?_

"Only my coffee is," I played along, narrowing my gaze softly.

She quickly averted her eyes and smiled into her lap. I got this strange stirring feeling in my stomach and my breathing quickened. I knew what was wrong with me. It was official. I was hopelessly attracted to Clarke.

Clarke POV

"I can't believe this place!" Lexa gushed, ignoring her coffee and admiring the café. "You were totally right about what you said on the way over here: 'the best hipster hangout this side of Connecticut'."

We both giggled at her impression of me.

"Well, you _are_ wearing flannel, and you probably own at least three infinity scarves, _and_ have an iPhone too. Am I right?"

"You're right, I do have an iPhone. But ugh, I hate those scarf things. It's like being strangled all day. And I definitely don't wear flannel to be a hipster. There are other reasons."

Lexa gave me a knowing look as she said that last part, which for some reason made me extremely nervous.

 _Was she talking about the "lesbians wear flannel" stereotype? Or was I just reading into things?_

I was trying to play it cool, but whenever I was near this girl I turned into the biggest idiot on the planet. I could barely talk normally around Lexa. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know more about her to find out about the Indra thing, or because I was…falling for her.

"So, why are you studying art, Clarke Griffin?" Lexa leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"What, do you I strike you as a boring business major?" I half-smiled.

"Not at all. But you do strike me as the kind of girl who avoids frat parties, yet that's where I met you oddly enough."

"I do hate frat parties, but I kind of went to high school with Bellamy and Octavia Blake so I had a VIP pass. And since I'm always Raven's DD I couldn't really say no."

"Wow, so you're in with the king and queen of New Haven U, huh? I didn't know I was in the presence of royalty!"

Lexa did a fake bow, which made us both laugh hysterically. I reached across the table and gave her a little shove.

"Hey! They're actually my cousins so they sort of have to invite me."

"Whoa! Cousins? Damn, you're royal by blood!"

"It's a good thing you met me."

"Why's that?" Lexa bit her lip suggestively, which almost made me stutter my reply.

"Because now you have connections to the throne, Ms. Wright. Or should I call you peasant?"

"Alright, alright. Point made," she smiled and rolled her eyes. Lexa paused and looked over the features of my face for a few moments. "Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance."

"Really? No one's ever been able to tell since Bell and Octavia are brunette and I'm blonde."

"Your eyes are all the same. And your lips too."

"Our lips?"

Lexa leaned in closer and lightly stroked the space between my chin and my lower lip.

"The same weird little curve," she said, our eyes locking.

The green in Lexa's eyes sparkled like tiny little emeralds in the low lighting. I could see the reflection of the colored string lights splashed across her irises, giving them a brilliance that made my heart skip beats.

"What are you looking at?" Lexa asked softly.

The question took my breath away. The way she looked as she spoke reminded me of something.

"You look a lot like this girl I painted once. I didn't use a model, I just invented her in my head. It was one of my best pieces too, one of the only pieces I ever actually sold."

"I'd love to see it. Do you have a picture of it?"

"Even better. The café bought it. Look," I pointed to the wall behind Lexa and she quickly turned around.

Her jaw dropped wide open and before I could say another word she was out of her seat and in front of my painting.

"Oh, my God, Clarke. This is…this looks just like me."

I went to stand beside her as she continued analyzing the piece.

"You like it?"

Lexa turned to me with a sincere expression on her face.

"It's beautiful," she said finally, almost in a whisper.

My stomach was doing backflips at this point. With Lexa staring at me like that, I don't know how I was keeping my composure. I barely knew this girl, yet she affected me like no stranger ever had.

"Can I ask you something?"

I nodded soberly.

"Why were you looking for me?"

I imagined Lexa expected a different response than the one I was about to give – maybe she even thought it might be something romantic – but I decided it was time to tell her the truth.

"I had some…unanswered questions…about the other night."

"What questions?"

"About you. Who you were exactly.

"Go on."

"After I left you in the beach house, I ran into this girl, Indra, and I swear I thought she was going to hit me. She said I should stay away from you," I explained, somewhat timid.

Lexa's eyes widened and her face turned pale.

"Wh-what else did she tell you?"

I paused for a minute, trying to read Lexa but I couldn't. "Nothing. She just said you were dangerous or something."

Lexa grew silent. She kept her eyes forward, staring hard at the painting.

"Did something happen between you two?"

"Don't worry about it, Clarke. Whatever Indra said she's lying," she tried to convince me, but it wasn't working.

"I can't help it. Did you do something to her?"

"It's not what you think."

"I don't know what to think! All I know is that I almost got into a fight with someone because of you!"

"Well, I _did_ get into a fight with someone because of you, and you don't hear me using that jack ass boyfriend of yours as leverage to dig into your personal life."

" _Ex_ -boyfriend. And like you weren't dying to know the dirty details," I scoffed.

"Of course I was curious! But I was trying to back off and give you space before I interrogated you. And I sure as hell didn't assume you were the bad guy either."

"How do I know you're not the bad guy, Lexa?"

"I'm not!"

"So, I'm just supposed to take your word for it?"

"Yes."  
"Why won't you just tell me the truth?"

"Clarke, this thing with Indra is personal. I'm sorry."

"Maybe, just maybe, I care about your personal life a little more than you think. I know we just met, Lexa, but…I feel like I've known you a long time. If you want to know about Finn I'll tell you about Finn, but I want to know about you too."

"I…" a long pause.

"So you're just going to let me think you're the villain? Is that how this is going to go?"

Lexa grew painfully quiet. I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes, her expression begging me to calm down. To understand. But I was too enraged. Too confused at this point in our argument to understand Lexa's perspective. Maybe she was right, but I wasn't okay with being wrong.

"You don't know me, Clarke. You don't know me at all," Lexa's voice finally broke through, having grown incredibly soft and sad.

"Yeah, I guess not."

Lexa gave me a pleading look as I went back to the table and grabbed my bag. I left a five-dollar bill for the waitress and left the café. Outside, I glanced over my shoulder through one of the windows and saw Lexa still standing in front of my painting, tears streaming down her cheeks.

AN: Heya! Woke up this morning to hundreds of views so I decided to write like a madwoman and voila! Chapter four! The next part of the story (which will probably run for at least another five or six chapters) will get even juicier as details about the "Indra thing" are revealed. Also, things between Clarke and Lexa are about to heat up BIG TIME so don't go away! Don't forget to like and fave, guys! XOXO


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

...

Lexa POV

That painting reminded me so much of myself, it hurt. I stood there alone, examining the details through wet eyes. The girl in the painting wore a thin, white dress and her eyes were transfixed forward, wide with a hint of fear. In her right hand was a white piece of a porcelain mask that she held over her right eye. The background was splashed with colors of green and blue that seemed to dance behind her. She and I seemed so similar. Was I hiding behind a broken mask like the girl in Clarke's painting?

At that moment, I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to return Clarke's bracelet to her. This time I wouldn't hesitate slipping it under her door. Anything to avoid seeing her. When I got back to my dorm, music was blaring and Costia was draped over the side of her bed with her feet on the wall and her head hanging off the edge, almost touching the floor. She was wearing a large, over-sized band tee and reading a bulky chemistry book. She didn't even notice me so I carefully grabbed my Nikon camera off my desk and snapped a photo of her.

"You look ridiculous, Costia," I said amused, turning off the stereo. "How can you study to Metallica?"

"I've got talent," Costia replied without looking away from her book.

I set down my camera and fell onto my bed, reliving the fight with Clarke in my head. I couldn't help but tear up at the thought of it, devastated that Clarke would believe the worst of me without getting my side of the story.

"Lex? Hun, what's wrong?" she quickly sat up and came over to console me.

I had started crying silently and didn't realize that Costia could see me even upside down. I broke down and told her everything. Costia already knew about my fight with Indra but I explained how Clarke and I met, Clarke's run-in with Indra, the fight with Finn, and now mine and Clarke's argument.

"Well, I don't exactly blame her, Lex."

"Are you siding with her?" I said through heavy sobs.

"No, I just understand where she's coming from. I mean, yeah you did defend her against that Finn douche, but that was your choice. She didn't get shit from Indra voluntarily. And you freaking need to explain the Indra thing to her by the way!" Costia exclaimed punching me lightly on the shoulder.

"Ow! How can I…screw it. It doesn't matter. She probably hates me now anyway."

Costia knew about my past, even about the drama with Indra that had happened over the summer. Costia understood that what happened wasn't my fault, but explaining that to Clarke would be a different story. That is, if she'd even want to listen.

...

Clarke POV

 _Buzz Buzz!_

COSTIA: Hey lady! U, me, Octavia, Raven? grls nite? Need some serious R&R

 _Shit. Girl's night would mean going to Costia's dorm. What if Lexa's there? I'll just make something up._

CLARK: Idk, I have this landscape drawing due on Monday…

COSTIA: Plzzz? Lexa's ditching me for a photo club party.

CLARKE: How long will she be gone?

COSTIA: Allll nite. It's like a slumber party at the club president's house. They do it a lot.

 _That changes everything._

CLARKE: What time should we be there?

COSTIA: Yay! This is gonna be amaze. 7ish?

CLARKE: Sounds good!

It was almost 6 so I showered, put on a pair of grey sweats and one of my many New Haven U t-shirts, and Raven and I headed over to Costia's dorm. Octavia said she'd meet us there and when we walked in, she and Costia were standing in front a microwave counting down in unison.

"…four, three, two, one, zero!"

"What are you guys doing?" I laughed.

"Popcorn!" they both exclaimed.

 _Wow,_ _Octavia's been here ten minutes and she's already best friends with Costia._

"When's the wedding," Raven joked, plopping on the futon and pulling some DVDs out of her bag. "Okay, Fried Green Tomatoes, Mean Girls, or Sixteen Candles?"

"Mean Girls!" everyone said together. While Raven put on the movie, Costia grabbed some sodas out of her mini fridge, and I poured the popcorn into two bowls that were already set out. As the movie started we all crowded onto the futon.

Everyone else was so into the movie, laughing at all the funny parts and quoting the most memorable lines, but from the minute I walked in I couldn't take my eyes off Lexa's side of the dorm. Lexa had never told me what she was studying, but after noticing the professional-looking pictures on her wall and the expensive, high-tech camera sitting on her desk, I figured photography was at the very least her hobby if not her major. When I came out of my daze and turned my attention back to the movie, I realized Octavia was furiously texting Lincoln while Raven co-piloted the conversation over her shoulder. They were arguing back and forth about how to handle the couple's current squabble, Octavia rambling on and on about Lincoln's flaws (it was a long list).

"Does she and her boyfriend fight a lot?" Costia looked at me amused.

"Are there 24 hours in a day?" I replied sarcastically.

"That's what I thought," she giggled. There was a quiet moment between us but suddenly Costia turned to face me. "Can I talk to you about something important?"

I looked over at Raven and Octavia to make sure they were still distracted and gave Costia the go ahead.

"Lexa told me what happened with you guys. Now, before you get mad hear me out. She was really upset, like she was crying for over an hour. I know you don't know Lexa but I know her, and she'd never do anything to hurt anyone. It's messed up that Indra was a bitch to you at that party, but at least you didn't get sucker punched like Lexa. I mean it's not even –"

"Hold on, hold on. What?"

"Oh, my God. You don't know? Clarke, Indra beat the shit out of Lexa that night. It must've been after you left, but I was by the beach and she comes walking up covered in blood and dirt. I freaked! I wanted to take her to the hospital but she wouldn't let me."

I was beginning to feel like a complete idiot.

"Did she say why Indra attacked her?"

"Look, Clarke, it's not my place to tell you Lexa's business but I will say this; Lexa's only here because she got a full academic scholarship and her family is super poor. They were about to be evicted and Indra offered to help. I can't give you any more details cause I don't want to lose Lexa's trust, but basically she blames Lexa for something Lexa didn't do. Indra's the one causing trouble, not Lexa, so if you want to be mad at anyone be mad at Indra. I promise you, Lexa's a really good person. And, by the way, she's crazy about you so you should probably take it easy on her."

 _Damn. I'm such a jerk. What's wrong with me? Why did I have to go off on Lexa like that. Wait. Did Costia just say Lexa's crazy about me? Even if she was she probably hates me after all this._

The next thing I heard wasn't Costia's voice, it was the sound of the door opening, and the next thing I saw was someone enter with a camera bag and look of complete shock when they saw me.

...

Lexa POV

"I can't believe I went to a freaking photography club meeting without my camera, I'm so dumb someti–," I was cut off by the scene in front of me.

Costia, Clarke, and two other girls I didn't know were sitting on the futon covered in popcorn staring at me. Costia nervously began introducing the two I didn't know while Clarke and I continued staring at each other. Her lips were parted, almost apologetically, and she looked frightened but also happy to see me.

"Yo, Clarkey. Isn't that…?" said Raven, but Clarke didn't respond.

"What are you doing here?" I ignored everyone else and spoke directly to Clarke.

"I'm sorry, Lex, I invited them. I didn't think you'd be back til ten."

"Ten? What about the sleepover?" Clarke exclaimed, confused.

Clarke and I both suddenly realized that Costia had planned this whole thing. Part of me was angry and the other part was impressed with her cleverness. I was still standing there awkwardly with my brown camera bag hanging off the edge of my shoulder, Clarke's eyes burning into me. I finally got the courage to grab my camera off my desk and place it in my bag before saying I didn't want to interrupt and I'd come back when they were done. Costia leapt from her seat, ran to the door and leaned against it just as I had turned the knob.

"Actually, we were just thinking about going for ice cream, all that salt, you know. So, me and Raven and Octavia will be right back," Costia glared at Raven and Octavia and they quickly obeyed, jumping up and running out the door before either Clarke or I had the chance to object.

"Guys!" I shouted at the group as they hurried out the door. "Costia! Come back! Don't…" I turned back to Clarke in defeat and could barely meet her persistent gaze without wanting to run out of the room myself.

"So," I said, but Clarke remained silent. I looked over at the TV and saw the paused movie. "Mean Girls is classic. I like the symbolism of Cady's bracelet. Speaking of which," I reached into my bag and dug around for a minute before revealing Clarke's bracelet. "I keep meaning to give this back to you. You lost it at the party."

I took a few steps closer and held the bracelet out to her. As Clarke neared me, her eyes became glassy. I could tell she was desperately trying not to cry. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not, but when she reached for the bracelet she ended up grabbing my hand too. Whether or not Clarke intended to touch me she still seemed surprised and a little unsure of how I would react. All at once I felt a surge of electricity flow from Clarke's hand into mine. I wanted to say a million things but at the same time I was speechless.

"Lexa," she finally released, letting the tears flow as we both realized the mutual feeling of regret.

"Clarke, I…" before I could finish Clarke threw her arms around my neck and held me tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Lexa. Costia told me some of what happened. I judged you. I was so wrong."

I wrapped my arms around Clarke's waist and hugged her warmly. "It's okay. I should've told you the truth but I was scared. I'm not good at this." I pulled away, still holding her hands, and looked deeply into Clarke's eyes, searching for the courage to finally be honest. "Indra and I –"

"You don't have to –"

"It's okay, I want to. Last summer my parents were about to lose their house. They couldn't pay the mortgage. A friend of mine told me he made 2,000 bucks in a day selling drugs for this dealer Indra, and I stupidly thought it would be a way to help my parents. I did good the first couple weeks, but one day I had a bad transaction. This buyer held me at gunpoint and took everything, including about 300 dollars worth of Indra's supply. She took all the money I had earned for my parents, about $2,500. I'm so sorry you got dragged into all this. If I had known, I would've just stayed away from you."

"I wouldn't have wanted that. Lexa…"

"No, I want you to know that I've never done anything like that before and I never will again. Please, believe me."

"Of course I believe you!" Clarke placed her palm against my cheek. "I don't care if you committed grand theft, you did it to help someone you love. Besides, I'm the one who should be begging here. I thought the worst of you, Lexa. I treated you like shit and you're being so nice to me. I don't deserve it."

"Yes, you do."

"You really should hate me."

"I could never hate you, Clarke Griffin."

Clarke's hand was still cradling my cheek. The intensity of our tears and stares was almost unbearable.

...

Clarke POV

 _How do you feel about me then?_ I was about to ask when there was a loud knock at the door.

"RA! Room checks!"

We both laughed and Lexa went to open the door so the resident assistant could check out the room. As soon as she left, Lexa offered me to stay and finish the movie and I agreed, happily sitting down beside her on the futon. I left a few inches of space between us because I was nervous. At first there was an awkward silence but eventually we started talking about photography and art. At one point, Lexa leaned forward to grab the remote off the floor, and when she sat back down she closed the few inches of space I had made between us before, sitting so close to me that it made my heart race uncontrollably.

"You still haven't told me about Finn," Lexa said, turning the volume down a little.

"Oh, yeah I forgot about that," I sighed, seeing Lexa grow curious.

I told Lexa about Finn's and my relationship in high school and about the nasty finale. I told her how he was violent at times, how he was overly controlling, and how the event at the clock tower wasn't the first time he'd tried something like that.

"What an asshole! He really did all that to you?" Lexa looked horrified as she took hold of my hand.

"Unfortunately," I lowered my eyes.

"Did you tell your parents?"

"After two years of it. The violence wasn't the only reason I broke up with him."

"What the fuck else did he do?"

"It wasn't him. It was me."

"I don't see you having any blamed in this," Lexa scoffed in disbelief.

"It wasn't something I did, it was something I was honest about," I started, and Lexa waited for me to continue. She almost appeared to be holding her breath but maybe that was my imagination.

"What were you honest about?" she asked carefully.

Our eyes met and I held the answer between us.

"Lexa, I'm –"

"–Back!" said Octavia bursting in, carrying a paper bag.

"O! I told you to wait!" Costia came in behind Octavia with Raven at her heels and a worried look on her face. "Sorry guys. I tried to stop her but she has zero chill."

Lexa had pulled her hand away from mine when everyone barged in, but she now turned back and shared a secret smile with me.

"We can finish this later," I whispered to Lexa, whose smile widened at that.

While everyone began serving their ice cream, I noticed Lexa glaring at Costia, and when they saw I was watching them they quickly acted as naturally as they could. I squinted at Lexa suspiciously but she gave me a reassuring smile. It was getting late so after we finished our ice cream Raven, Octavia, and I decided to head back to our dorms. I was the last one to leave but Lexa caught me right outside.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" she questioned, closing the door behind her and leaning against the frame. I told Raven and Octavia to go on ahead of me. They whispered and giggled all the way to the elevators.

"I have a drawing to finish but I'll probably be free around two or three. Why?"

"I have some homework too but I thought you might like to help me."

"Sure," I said, trying not to sound too eager. "What kind of homework?"

"You'll see," Lexa smirked. "It's a surprise. Meet you at your room around 3:30?"

"312."

"Um, okay, why so specific?"

"That's my room number silly, not a time," I quipped.

Lexa and I both burst out in insatiable laughter and promised to meet the next afternoon. I headed to the elevators with a sense of elation and excitement for the day ahead, wondering with all my might how Lexa and I would end up.

...

* * *

AN: FREAKING OCTAVIA, RIGHT? She really does have zero chill lol. Anyways, heya! This chapter was really tedious to write but it FINALLY came together. I looooove writing all the gooey Clexa love stuff so I'm glad the story's heading in that direction (sorry for the delay!). FYI...IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN LESBIAN AVENUE, so stick around XOXO


	6. Chapter 6: Romance in the Darkroom

Clarke POV

I'd been putting off this landscape assignment for my Drawing 101 class for almost a week and I was finally on a roll. I had woken up at 9 a.m. with the perfect image in my head and I'd been scribbling away in my notepad ever since. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Thinking it must be Raven back early from hanging out with Lincoln, I hopped up from my bed and unlocked the deadbolt before plopping back down to continue working. The knocking persisted though, which aggravated me.

"Are you arms broken? Open it yourself!" I yelled absentmindedly.

"No, but I think your clock is," said a voice.

It was Lexa, not Raven, standing in the doorway, looking rather beautiful and dressed up while I looked like a complete mess in my sweatpants and charcoal-stained hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were Raven. What time is it?"

"Almost 3:40," Lexa looked amused at my flustered state.

"Shit. I must have lost track of time. I can be ready in two minutes, just hold on."

"I think you need to get a watch, Clarke," Lexa laughed, closing the door behind her.

While I rummaged around in my closet for a clean shirt and a pair of jeans, Lexa browsed around my side of the room, looking at my posters and my art supplies.

"What's this?" she asked, holding up a white, pencil-shaped tool.

"It's a blending stump. It's for shading with pastels or charcoal."

"Very interesting. It's like a whole other world in here."

When she saw me about to change clothes, Lexa quickly turned away and began flipping through my drawing pad to distract herself. The whole time I changed I kept expecting her to steal a glance over her shoulder, but she kept her eyes on my notebook.

 _What a gentleman, I mean, gentlewoman,_ I thought with a smile.

"I see you're not just a painter," she called over her shoulder. "I like this self portrait you did. The one in the very front? It looks just like you."

Pulling on my jacket, I came up behind Lexa and leaned over her to get a better look at the drawing she'd turned to.

"That's not me," I began, charmed by her mistake. "That's my mother."

With a shocked expression Lexa glanced back and forth several times between my face and the portrait.

"Whoa! You guys look scary alike."

"Yeah, I know. Now stop shrugging your responsibilities, missy. Let's get going."

When we reached the lobby, I was still begging Lexa to tell me what we were going to be doing exactly.

"It's a surprise," she kept saying.

"How can homework be a surprise? It's either boring or _really_ boring."

"You're so impatient, Clarke!" she laughed, rolling her eyes.

When we got outside, Lexa led the way toward the Fine Arts and Performing Arts buildings, which made me even more curious.

"What're you studying anyway? You never told me, but I'm guessing from that fancy camera and those professional photos on your wall that you're a photography major."

"You guessed right, but those photos aren't professional considering I took them."

"Those are yours? I can't believe you can take pictures like that, Lex! They're amazing."

"Thanks, but not nearly as amazing as your paintings. Seriously, if I could frame a shot the way you wield a brush I'd be destined for greatness. Wait, did you just call me Lex'?"

"Yeah I did, sorry. I didn't mean to, it just came out."

"Don't apologize. It was cute," she smiled carefully, analyzing my features as she spoke.

Those emerald eyes of hers shot through me like a stray bullet, ricocheting all over my senses. My heart began pounding so loudly that I swear I thought she'd hear it. It wasn't just what she said it was how she looked at me after she said it, all coy and smiley like she'd planned that line from the moment she first saw me in that classroom. Before I could respond with something equally flirtatious, we had arrived at one of the Arts buildings and Lexa was holding the door for me, prompting me inside. Going down a long hallway, we rounded a corner and entered a room with concrete floors and a ridiculously tall ceiling.

"What is this place?"

"My home away from home," Lexa sighed happily. "The first time I came here I swear I almost cried. I'd never seen let alone used a photography studio like this before, and now I can pretty much come here whenever I want. It's a struggling photographer's heaven on earth."

"That's how I feel about art studios. It's like no matter what city I'm in, as long as I have somewhere I can paint I feel safe."

"That's exactly how I feel!" Lexa threw her hands up dramatically, which made us both laugh a little.

"So, what's the secret homework assignment?"

She bit her lip thoughtfully, looking me up and down, the quiet lull in our conversation tensing the air between us. Costia did tell me Lexa was interested in me, but after everything that happened between us I couldn't tell if her feelings had changed.

"You sure you're ready for this?"

I raised an eyebrow impishly and nodded. The left corner of Lexa's mouth curled into a sneaky grin and she held out her hand to me, which I took without any hesitation. My hand felt invisible in Lexa's, as if they had molded together. It was nice feeling that connected to someone. Lexa guided me to a door at the far end of the studio, and when we reached it she instructed me to close my eyes. I obeyed reluctantly, then I heard the door open and felt Lexa's hand guiding me forward.

"Open!"

"It's a dark room!" I cried, admiring the red-lighted studio. "What are we doing in here?"

"Developing pictures, what else?" Lexa released my hand and removed her camera and some other pieces of equipment from her bag. While she began setting things up on one of the counters, she asked me to retrieve a few canisters from one of the cabinets. She instructed me to pour the liquid in the canisters into four trays that were laid out on a table across from the machine.

Lexa revealed a few strips of film and placed them on a black platform on the machine, then a few minutes later she brought over a blank sheet of photo paper.

"What is this stuff," I said filling up the last tray.

"Deadly chemicals, duh. I'm kidding they're not deadly. Okay, that's good. Now set that down and come over here. You get to do the fun part."

Lexa handed me the blank sheet and helped me lay it correctly in the chemicals using metal prongs.

"Don't let go, okay? This first tray is filled with developer. It makes the image visible so you can, um, you know, see it," she laughed nervously. "Don't just hold it though. Like this."

From behind me, Lexa put her hand on mine and demonstrated how to move the picture through the chemicals without splashing myself. She was standing even closer to me now, so close that I could feel the heat from her breath on my cheek. I kept glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. She looked so focused and serious. Seeing Lexa doing something that she was so passionate about made me have so much respect for her.

"See that?" she pointed at the paper. "That's called a chemical reaction."

I examined the paper closely and saw a black and white image appear. The more vivid the image became the more I recognized it. It was a picture of me reading a book in our dorm elevator, completely unaware that I was being photographed.

"It that–is that _me_? How'd you take that without me noticing?"

"I actually tried to talk to you that day but you were listening to music and didn't hear me, so I took your picture instead. It came out so well I decided to submit it. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? You captured the best part of me," it was more romantic sounding than I hoped, but I was so stunned by the contents of the photograph that my "she's-just-a-friend" filter went out the window. I stopped regretting my words though when I saw the expression on Lexa's face. Her eyes were like little flames dancing around my compliment, and they were so focused on me that I could feel the warmth speed through chest.

"Well, um," Lexa gathered herself and turned her attention back to the trey. "Before the 'best part of you' fades, let's give this baby a stop bath."

"Stop bath?" I couldn't help but laugh a little, especially since the nervousness was getting to me.

"Because it _stops_ the first chemical from developing the picture any more."

"Clever people, you photographers."

"We try," Lexa gently helped me transfer the photo to the next tray, watching me this time instead of intervening.

I felt her gaze on me and suddenly her hand was touching the base of my cheek.

"What's this cut from?"

It was hard to concentrate on Lexa and what I was doing at the same time, but even out of my peripherals I could tell she seemed worried.

"From the clock tower…when Finn was...I turned my head too quickly when he…I scraped it on the wall…it's just a scratch."

Moving closer Lexa licked her thumb and rubbed it across the cut, whispering _bastard_ like she was angry at the injury instead of Finn. I had never felt this vulnerable around Lexa, as if this tiny wound was exposing all my flaws. I couldn't help but draw back timidly at her touch and after disengaging I didn't even have the strength to look at her.

"It's nothing," I said, which was followed by a cringe-worthy silence. "Should we put this in the next tray?"

Without a word she helped me transfer the photo again. When she didn't explain the purpose of the third treatment I got worried.

"So what does this chemical –"

"–What were you going to tell me before Octavia came in last night?"

I was so caught off guard that my leg knocked against the table and all the trays rattled violently. I cleared my throat and met her truculent gaze, trying desperately not to stutter or say the wrong thing this time.

"Y-you mean about why Finn and I broke up?"

It wasn't really a question. I knew what Lexa wanted to know especially after the deep nod she gave me, I just wasn't sure if I could say it out loud. I hadn't come out to anyone except my parents, Finn, and a few friends here in New Haven. I was fucking terrified to tell Lexa but I knew if I wanted a chance to even be friends with her that I had to be honest. "The truth is, Lexa…Finn was a nightmare, my biggest nightmare. But the problem with us was bigger than just the way he treated me, which got a hell of a lot worse when he found out…about me."

"You still haven't explained what he found out, Clarke. Octavia, remember? Zero chill?"

Lexa smiled a little at the memory, or maybe she smiled because I smiled first. Either way, that beautiful grin made my pulse quicken and my cheeks grow hot.

 _Here goes nothing._

"Yeah…Octavia really knows how to ruin a good coming out story."

The smile on Lexa's face faded instantly. The silence in the room was so thick I could hear the sounds of the photo rippling in the chemicals. Lexa blinked several times and swallowed, her eyes never leaving mine. For some reason I had grown brave, maybe because she knew all my secrets now, or maybe because we knew each other's secrets and there wasn't anything left to hide.

"When you say 'coming out', do you mean…"

"I mean this."

Before I could stop myself, I let go of the picture and pressed my lips against Lexa's, kissing her with such force that she had to hold onto me to keep from stumbling back. She grabbed my shoulders tightly, and when she had regained her balance I pulled away from the kiss as easily as I could.

...

* * *

A/N: Heya! OMG! Can you believe they FINALLY kissed...about damn time. Seriously, girls can be so stubborn sometimes. Anywayssss, sorry this took so long but I've been working on papers and my fencing technique so pardon moi. The next chapter will not be so long a wait so stick around to find out how Lexa reacts to the kiss! xoxo


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